RCB buy Shimron Hetmyer: Royal Challengers Bangalore buy West Indian middle-order batsman for INR 4.2 crore.
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During the ongoing IPL auction for the 12th season of the IPL (Indian Premier League) at Jaipur, IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore acquire the services of West Indies middle-order batsman Shimron Hetmyer.
Hetmyer, who was priced at INR 50 lakh, went through an extensive bidding war which was seen bring fought between Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Daredevils, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
RCB, who entered the auction at the end, ended up emerging out as the winner. In the absence of many specialist batsman, RCB were expected to bid for a hard-hitting batsman like Hetmyer.
Given his potential to smack the ball from the word go, one expects Hetmyer to cause havoc in his maiden season of the IPL. Furthermore, middle-order batsmen was one major aspect of their line-up which RCB were struggling with.
Having a stellar top-order comprising of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers for years, RCB’s batting always received a blow when it came at finishing the innings. Hopefully, that issue will get sorted now.
The 21-year old West Indian southpaw has made the right build-up for himself ahead of the IPL auction. Apart from all that he has done in the recent time, the tour of India earlier this year is likely to bolster his chances.
Highest run-scorer for his team during the ODI series, Hetmyer scored 259 runs in five matches at an average of 51.80 and a strike rate of 140. His ability to hit the long ball at will will increase his chances of representing an IPL batting line-up’s middle-order.
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